A senior executive was let go just five days into the role after making a harsh, personal remark to a junior team member during a team meeting.
The incident was shared on LinkedIn by Jatin Saini, a personal branding expert for CEOs, VCs, and founders. Describing it as one of the toughest decisions he has made at work, Saini wrote:
“I hired someone on Monday and fired them on Friday. Not my proudest moment. Not the easiest conversation either.”
According to Saini, the executive made the inappropriate remark during an assignment review call at 6 PM on Friday. The junior employee, who had submitted work for feedback, was met with the following response:
“Did you leave your brain at home? If this is the best you can do, you should look for a new job. Bring your brain tomorrow or don’t bother coming.”
Disturbed by the tone, Saini immediately asked the executive to stay back after the call. He directly addressed the issue, emphasizing the importance of respectful communication and the need to separate feedback from personal attacks.
“I clarified that no one should end their day feeling humiliated—especially not on a Friday. It spoils the weekend. We give feedback on assignments, not on people,” Saini shared.
Rather than acknowledging the mistake, the executive reportedly defended the comment, saying, “That’s how you build strong teams.”
For Saini, that was the final red flag.
“I knew we had made a huge hiring mistake,” he said.
Saini's company is now rehiring for the same position—Senior Personal Brand Executive—with a renewed focus not just on skills, but on emotional intelligence and humility.
“We only need someone skilled, open to learn, and above all, respectful. Because we want to build personal brands without breaking people,” he wrote, along with a link to apply.
The post quickly went viral, triggering a wider conversation around workplace culture and leadership styles.
One commenter remarked, “Not sure who said it but ‘be slow to hire and fast to fire.’ A bad fit doesn’t mean the person isn’t good—it just means they’re not right for you.”
Another user speculated, “I think this was intentional and he got a better offer somewhere else.”